Page 75 of Their World

She whistled and turned in a slow circle as she walked in. “This is a really nice room, girl.”

“Thank you. The guys did a great job. Oh, where will you be staying?” I put my finger on the sentence I’d been reading, so I wouldn’t lose my place.

She flopped backwards into a bean bag chair and said, “The three of us guards have rooms downstairs. So, you can just shout my name if you need something.”

“That means we can have horror movie sleepovers again!” I smiled wide, remembering the fun nights we’d had together,Piper, Maya, and I. Speaking of Maya, I needed to find a night to hang out with her soon. I had been a neglectful friend with everything going on, but with the battle coming soon, I had to be sure she understood that she was my best friend, to ensure she knew my feelings, in case … I died.

“Only if they can include alcohol now,” she countered with a matching smile.

Kayden’s phone rang, so he walked out of the room to answer it.

“What are your plans this week?” Piper asked. “Anything chaotic?”

“I’m sure there are going to be a lot of meetings with the royals to set up the plan for the fight coming in one week,” I answered.

Kayden came back into the room and nodded. “Just got off the phone with Dad and there’s a meeting scheduled tomorrow evening. Also, they have asked that you go to the mana stone store and take the day shifts for the next few days due to understaffing issues.”

“Understaffing issues?” I asked. That hadn’t been an issue before. Plus, was this really what I should focus on? Running the store when the battle was so close?

“A lot of people are leaving the city due to fear about the demons and the increased number of portals,” Piper explained.

I sighed and rubbed my temples while closing my eyes and dropping my head down. There were so many things going on simultaneously and not enough time or manpower to handle them all.

How could I show that the demons weren’t the bad guys when they were literally about to attack us?

Everything was so screwed up and it could really all be fixed if we killed the Grand Advisor. I wasn’t sure my plan was goingto work, but I had to have hope. I had to find a way to save my people. All of my people.

“Read this next page,” Mason said and slid the book back towards me.

The top had a note.

Princess,the necklace with the bright jewel is a royal heirloom that belonged to Third to Reign. It has many abilities, not all that I know. There was a rumor that the Grand Advisor took it and I am worried he may have manipulated it somehow. That necklace is important and can help augment your powers. I’m not sure how it works, but I know it does, and you should wear it during the battle. Also, the Third to Reign was able to give some of her shadow powers to her mates, which helped protect them.

So,that must be what the darkness going into their aura was! And somehow, when I was younger, I’d done it as well. It made me happy to know that I hadn’t infected them or caused them to fall for me.

I continued reading.

When you arein extreme danger, you can unlock a stage Third to Reign called Goddess Mode. Where she was almost all-powerful. It drains the user, though, so be careful when activating it. There was also a rumor that it was a one use only type of magic, though Third to Reign never confirmed that.

Good to know.I turned the page and gasped at the title.

CURSES

Each curse can only be used once a day. These curses will remain in effect until the one who placed the curse, or someone from their bloodline, removes it.

Note: Third to Reign had many powers, a bit of an odd humor, and a large temper. Use all curses with caution and be very hesitant to remove curses still on beings. She removed those she felt were truly ready to have removed before her death. Curses donottransfer to kin of cursed. No known “bloodline” curses exist. I will write what she wrote about the powers as well as add my own notes.

Pain – Inflicting an individual with the pain curse will cause them intense pain periodically throughout the day and night.

Drain – This curse must be used with extreme prejudice as it will drain the cursed person of ten percent of their magic power each day, which can be multiplied up to five times, causing up to fifty percent magic drain. Can be used in combination with pain and called “Infection.”

Stain – This curse will allow you to put a mark on an individual and track them, allowing you to look at a map and within a one-hundred-foot area, accurately point to their location.

Chain - *Notrecommended! Caused plague!* This curse will cause the first person to become ill, weak, cough, runny nose, throw up, and every person they touch will also be cursed with chain.

Scatterbrain – This curse will cause the person to forget important items, thoughts, and plans periodically. Useful on enemy leaders to cause followers to distrust their leadership ability. Also fun to place on annoying siblings and mates for short periods of time.

Abstain – This curse causes little to no interest in food, alcohol, fun, and sex. Useful on annoying siblings,nosey mothers-in-law who keep asking about grandkids, and enemies. Hard to plan a war when you are sad.

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